Chapter Text
The decorations for the Celestial Festival were more impressive than Biana recalled seeing them before, maybe because of Silveny’s entrance. Lights, pink curtains, sparkly fountains, and even booths of decorated food shone under the blood red moon.
She hoped her outfit would suffice– a glittery raspberry-toned fit with a silky skirt over panted bottoms, covered in minimal gems at the hems. She’d paired it with a ruby butterfly clip over her styled ponytail. It was meant to be flexible, and simple, given that they might need to go back to her house as soon as their part was over, and changing might not be an option. But she was presenting an alicorn to the Lost Cities and getting recognized by the Councillors! She had to look decent! She’d even added some tiny gold earrings to go with her shimmery eyeshadow, fluffy, cozy cape and boots (since it was very cold near the Sanctuary).
She stared at the enormous stage, at the base of the even bigger Mount Everest. Suddenly she felt intimidated, and a little lost. Was she just supposed to go up there now? She glared at her family, already abandoning her there to head toward their seats.
Fitz didn’t even look back, probably too stressed about their plans to check for Neverseen members to care that they’d left her alone. They’d searched through her backyard for hours every day of the week leading up to the Festival, and they weren’t able to find anything. Not near the front and back entrances, or even near the override. They hadn’t found out much more about trolls and their hatching either– other than the fact that the hives hatched during eclipses. She didn’t have to ask Fitz if he was upset about this– or about the fact that they weren’t allowed near Everglen during the event. He refused to speak about the fact that Keefe, Linh, Maruca, Trixie, and Keefe’s bodyguards would be taking care of their home tonight. Biana couldn’t blame him– she wished she were home too. Or had more control of the situation. Trusting others with it was turning out to be hard.
Her father was still a little distant, not yet recovered a lot of his memories. She was preparing herself for the conversation they had to have with him soon– he needed to know about Alvar. But even though she’d seen him going back to work for certain assignments, she knew that he still wasn’t as strong as he used to be. If Alvar really was responsible for what had happened to Alden… then Biana feared that she would never be able to forgive him. Assuming he was telling the truth, of course.
Then there was her mother, distracted by her earlier encounter with Alvar. After Fitz and Biana had told her about Alvar, Della had taken several trips to the Shores of Solace to talk to her eldest son. Biana had had her own talk with him too– and she didn’t know how to feel about it. She couldn’t trust him, but he’d sounded so honest with his warnings, and his injuries made him seem defeated. The biggest thing they were all worried about? Why the Neverseen had left him with some memories of the trolls, but not all. Even Alvar had pointed out that it was strange, and had promised to keep working on it.
“Biana?” Dex’s unsure voice echoed from behind her.
Biana turned, and Dex’s eyes widened when he saw her. “Whoa. Um… I mean, nice outfit.”
“Thanks,” Biana grinned when she noticed that he was blushing. Her outfit was that good. “You too.”
“Please, this? My mom helped me pick it out,” he gestured at his maroon coat, which was decorated with golden flora print. “It does help that it has a lot of pockets for my gadgets, and it’s warm in this cold weather. And… then my mom made me brush my hair like, eight times.”
“That’s very sweet of her,” Biana assured him, eyeing his spiked-up hair. It made him look taller than he already was. “And hey, we kind of match in shades of red!”
“Let’s hope Sophie doesn’t clash with us,” Dex joked.
“Way ahead of you, I personally gave her fashion and makeup advice for this.”
“Of course you did,” he studied her and frowned. “Is it just me, or are you shorter than usual?”
“No heels,” Biana explained, gesturing at her boots. “In case we have to run today after our part. But I’m taller than Sophie anyway.”
“I guess we can see if that’s true when she gets here,” Dex said. “So… do you know if we’re just supposed to go near the stage?”
“I was hoping you’d know,” Biana admitted. They were still a little far away and would have to dive into the crowds and stands to get there.
Dex sighed, “They probably forgot about us. I guess we can get closer and wait for someone to order us around.”
“Sure,” Biana said, and they both began to walk at a normal pace. The silence between them made her think about the first few times she had met Dex, when she didn’t know his name. Just that she’d beat him at a splotching match, and the strawberry-blond-haired boy had looked so angry, she and Maruca had laughed about it for days. Dex had been shorter back then too, with a rounder face and cropped hair. Now at seventeen, he’d grown into his features and his height. Also, he no longer hated her. And she no longer found him that annoying.
“I haven’t been able to thank you,” Dex said suddenly.
“Thank me?” Biana stopped walking right next to a booth selling scarves to elves who weren’t prepared for the weather.
“For rescuing Rex the other day,” he reminded her as he stopped too. “For having him be your priority when we were at that beach and he was kidnapped.”
Aha. So this was why he was being so friendly with her. She knew there had to be a reason.
“Oh! You don’t have to thank me. I’m glad I was able to get him home safe before…”
Before Lady Adyn could do to him what did to Mai Song.
Biana remembered the events of the last week. How she’d grabbed Rex, how he’d clung onto her hand, shaking even after he was safe. His sobs as he pulled from her grasp when he saw his mom to hug her instead had saddened her. And it fueled her anger towards Lady Adyn even more than it was for what she’d done to Tam too.
“Also, you didn’t hear it from me,” Dex said, as they began to walk again. He leaned in and pretended to whisper, “But Rex totally has a crush on you now.”
“Seriously?” Biana grinned. She adjusted her cape, glad that it was so warm– she could see her breath in the cold air. “That’s so sweet.”
“Oh yeah,” Dex laughed, “He won’t stop talking about you. He keeps calling you his hero, and asking me when he can see you. And Lex and Bex keep teasing him behind his back. Don’t be surprised if he gets you crush cuffs.”
“Of course he’d get me crush cuffs, I’m an amazing person,” Biana said.
“I suppose you are sometimes,” Dex admitted. “But don’t tell Sophie I said that.”
“I’m telling everyone I know,” Biana decided, nudging his arm.
“Seriously though, Biana. Thank you. For taking care of my little brother,” Dex said, turning serious again. “You saved his life. That makes you my hero too.”
“So, where are my fans?” Biana cleared her throat. Getting praised by Dex was something she wasn’t used to. “Seated already?”
Dex nodded, “My mom’s guarding the place like we asked her to. So are most of the rest of the collective. I think that only Granite is in Everglen with Keefe, Maruca, Linh, and Trixie. And Keefe’s bodyguards of course.”
“And are any of them with Alvar?” Biana couldn’t help but ask. Maybe he knew something she didn’t.
“Oh! I forgot to tell you. I’ve been working on a few gadgets, including this one,” he held up his wrist. “Alvar has the gadget connected to this one hidden. Now we can track him and even knock him out if we need to.”
“Don’t give that to Fitz,” Biana warned. “He won’t need a reason to knock Alvar out.”
“And you?” Dex asked. “How do you feel about it? I know I wasn’t there when you guys made the plans… but Sophie gave me a detailed summary. Do you think he’s lying or not?”
“I don’t know, but I miss who I thought he was,” Biana admitted.
“You know that I didn’t know about Alvar this time, right?” Dex asked, suddenly looking serious.
“I do,” Biana raised an eyebrow. She was surprised Dex cared to mention it. “Sophie and Keefe explained the whole promise they had to make to get him to tell them everything. Just typical trolls in my backyard kind of things.”
“And you’re okay with all of that?” Dex looked like he didn’t believe her. Which was fair, given her reactions to being lied to before.
“At this point, I’m okay with the fact that we’re still alive. As for Alvar… I guess we’ll see tonight if he’s actually saying the truth. But keep an eye on him with your gadget,” they stopped by the front of the stage, near a glimmering and meticulously decorated fruit stand.
“I will. And wait until you see my other gadgets, in case we have to rush back to Everglen,” he gestured at his pockets. “As soon as our part is over. If I had more time I would’ve made more for everyone but… I was also making the Warden.”
“You’ve got so many gadgets ready,” Biana agreed. “Are you alerting Sophie when to teleport here with one of them?”
“Yup! I modified a ring I can use as soon as Councillor Oralie gives me the signal.”
“You seriously have to make me something,” Biana insisted. “A laptop. Like Sophie’s. But make it pink.”
“Maybe one day,” Dex said, and she couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.
-
After a coordinator had finally found them, they were seated behind the stage, near a darker area with chairs and a few complimentary snacks.
Their conversation had died out again and Dex was fidgeting with one of his gadgets, while he handed the Alvar monitor thing to her to learn to use. So far, Alvar was staying put.
Biana ended up staring at the mountain woods in front of them, where a few fireflies and luminous blue plants occasionally shimmered. This place was completely elven, but there had to be humans near them somewhere. The thought of a completely different world being so close to her made her feel sad again, but she didn’t know why.
The woods in front of them also creeped her out– maybe because it was quiet on this side of the stage. And they were the only two sitting there apart from a man with a uniform from the Sanctuary– probably in charge of taking Silveny to her new home. But the quiet, dark woods made her nervous. The leaves rustled, and Biana was about to point them out to Dex when the sound of Councillor Nolan’s booming voice interrupted her.
“Welcome everyone,” Councillor Nolan began. “We know you’re all excited to get this started. I see that many of you have already gotten food and trinkets for our show! And you won’t be disappointed— we have a very special surprise for the Lost Cities. Before we get to that, however, and before we honor a few elves, we must take more serious news into account.”
He paused to let the crowd chatter, but all of the noise seemed faint to Biana at the moment. She knew what he was going to say, but she didn’t want to hear it.
“We know many of you heard rumors of disappearances of Shades, including Lady Zillah, a member of nobility. The good news is, we have caught the culprit. He is currently in Exile, being monitored by Councillor Alina.”
Biana couldn’t help but snort and mutter, “Monitored. Sure.”
She had tried not to think much about what happened with Tam. It made her feel angry, a little bit guilty, and entirely frustrated. It didn’t help that she kept imagining him sitting there in his dark prison. He’d joked about Exile being his home once, and he’d been right. The only thing that gave her comfort was the thought that the Tam there wasn’t the real Tam. The Tam in prison was the beguiled, cold-hearted Tam she’d had the misfortune of meeting. The Tam they had to learn to get rid of if they wanted the real Tam back. Except… Alina was in there with him. And even though she was the only reason that his mind hadn’t broken yet, Biana did not trust her near Tam. She hoped the guards were monitoring them well in Exile.
“You know we’re going to figure this out, right?” Dex said. “We’ll get Tam back and they’ll expose Alina for what she really did.”
“I hope we do,” Biana said. “But honestly, I hope more so for Linh.”
“Meaning?” Dex asked, raising an eyebrow. Then he looked embarrassed, “Sorry, this is none of my business.”
“Meaning that he hurt me too much, Beguiled or not,” Biana answered. “Does that make me an awful person?”
Dex considered it, “Would you forgive him?”
“Of course. I know it’s not his fault. I just don’t see myself trusting him,” Biana explained. “In terms of anything beyond friendship.”
“Then that’s your choice,” Dex said. “And I know where you’re coming from. I saw him that day when he threatened you.”
Biana cringed at the memory. This was why she didn’t mind that Dex asked these questions– he’d been there that day when she’d made a complete fool of herself. He’d seen her cry after giving Tam too many chances. And she still hadn’t tried to figure out if something was wrong. She’d been so self-centered, crying and feeling sorry for herself that day. But Dex had been kind enough to not mention it to anyone, or even tease her about it.
“I feel awful for not looking into it deeper,” Biana said. “I wish we’d tried to figure it out sooner. Maybe then… things could have been different.”
Dex’s answer was drowned out by Councillor Nolan’s sudden announcement, “Given that Councillor Alina is monitoring the culprit for these horrible crimes, we will be opening a Councillor chair for a temporary position. Scrolls with more information concerning this will be delivered within the next week.”
Councillor Nolan went on to list news that Biana didn’t care about much until he got to Lumenaria.
“We have excellent news on the subject, and Councillor Kenric will take over for it!”
Sounds of shuffling and tech given that Kenric wasn’t a vociferator echoed from the stage behind them.
“Hello everyone, and welcome to the festivities. I know you’re excited about our surprise and the light show, but Councillor Nolan has mentioned something very important to us as a community, and especially to me, Councillor Oralie, and Councillor Bronte. The three of us were attacked during the time that Lumenaria fell. This tragedy has not been forgotten, and the three of us could very well have not been here. He paused, and Biana realized this was their cue.
“It’s us!” She told Dex, glad to be out of that dark, creepy backstage area. “Come on, up the stairs.”
“I’m ready!” Dex jumped up with her and they stood right next to the entrance. They only had to walk around when their names were called.
“Nervous?” Biana asked. They were about to walk in front of a huge crowd.
“Very,” Dex admitted. “So… how do we walk in there? Do we wave? Do we bow? Why didn’t we go over this with anyone?”
“We were saved,” Kenric continued. “By two very brave young elves, so young in fact, that they are only in their sixth level at Foxfire. They were present there concerning the many changes in our world. But they both left heroes. Please give Dex Dizznee and Biana Vacker some applause.
“Go!” Biana nudged Dex, who seemed to have frozen in front of her.
“I am not a fan of this,” Dex’s voice was shaky.
“Ugh,” Biana grabbed his hand and pulled him to the front. Lights shone on them and she tried to focus on the spot that Kenric was waving his hand at. Councillors Oralie and Bronte stood next to him, while the rest of the Councillors sat in jewelled chairs behind them.
As soon as they reached the spot, she let go of Dex’s hand.
Councillor Kenric continued to go over that day when she and Dex had come across the Councillors who’d been drugged and disguised as prisoners by the Neverseen. It had been luck, but she supposed that even luck should be celebrated.
But she didn’t expect it to be rewarded.
“We know this is something unprecedented,” Kenric began. “And our reward is more like an opportunity– given that they are Level Sixes at Foxfire and therefore barely in the process of taking their exams to reach the Elite Levels. It’s a recognition of their work, and the hope that they will continue to help our world and its changes– they’ve definitely done more of their share than I’ve shared with you all today.”
Biana frowned. Where was he going with this? Was this why her mother had given her a wink earlier before leaving her to find the stage? She glanced at Dex, who looked equally confused. When she caught his eye, he shrugged at her.
“We’d like to honor Mr.Dizznee and Miss Vacker with an official invitation to become Regents,” Kenric finished.